And then while I am assisting with the third snowboard-induced wrist fracture reduction a moment of zen on the other side of the curtain.

A psych patient, bipolar most likely, on long off-load delay, insisting, no, loudly and continually demanding admission, adding to the ambiance of decibels and stress. It’s Christmas, and with no family, it seems she’s lonely.

“But Agnes,” comes the reply behind the curtain. “You’re not crazy enough to be here.”

In my last set of shifts, I had FIVE codes. FIVE! That’s a code per shift. That’s just wrong. The acuity in our ER has been insanely high as well. It feels like there’s a plague here! At least your psych patient provided some laughter, albeit unknowingly!